Psychology

Our Psychology Collection features a diverse group of study guides, from pioneering texts by Sigmund Freud and B.F. Skinner to self-help books and contemporary nonfiction about human nature, the mind, and social psychology. If you’re an educator looking to round out a college-level syllabus, or a book club organizer with a penchant for curiosity and dynamic discussion, this collection could help you find just what you're looking for.

Publication year 2013

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Family, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags Crime / Legal, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Psychology, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Biography


Publication year 1988

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: Teams, Identity: Language

Tags Psychology, Self Help, Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology


Publication year 2009

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Business / Economics, Inspirational, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help

In Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, Simon Sinek explores the fundamental question of why some individuals, organizations, and movements succeed while others do not. Published in 2009, this book has been particularly impactful in the spaces of leadership and business strategy, offering a fresh perspective on how leaders can both inspire and motivate others. At the heart of Start With Why is the concept of the “golden circle,” a... Read Start With Why Summary


Publication year 2012

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Language, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Self Discovery

Tags Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Arts / Culture, Self Help


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Music, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Historical Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Mental Illness, Philosophy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, American Literature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy


Publication year 1927

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Auto/Biographical Fiction, Philosophy, Existentialism, German Literature, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Steppenwolf, originally published in German in 1927, then translated into English in 1929, is the eighth novel published by Swiss German novelist Hermann Hesse. The novel was commercially successful upon publication, and it remains a popular novel to the present day. However, Hesse remarked that whereas his intention was to find humor in life and resist despair, Steppenwolf has often been misunderstood as a glorification of suffering. Much of Hesse’s body of work addresses spiritual... Read Steppenwolf Summary


Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Psychology, Psychology, Health / Medicine

Still Alice, by Lisa Genova, tells the story of a Harvard cognitive psychology professor, Alice Howland, and her descent into early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. When the novel opens, Alice is unaware of her disease; although she recognizes that she has become a touch more forgetful lately, she chalks this up to getting older and keeping a busy academic schedule. However, her lapses soon become worse, and a series of tests confirm that she has early-onset Alzheimer’s... Read Still Alice Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: Education, Identity: Mental Health

Tags Psychology, Self Help, Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Mental Illness


Publication year 2024

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Language, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Self Help, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Relationships, Psychology, Psychology


Publication year 2015

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Teams, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Business / Economics, Politics / Government, Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help


Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Language, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community

Tags Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help, Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management


Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Anthropology, Anthropology, Animals, Science / Nature, Sociology, History: World, Psychology, Psychology


Publication year 1973

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Music

Tags Psychology, Mental Illness, Science / Nature, Psychology, Biography, Classic Fiction

Sybil, by Flora Rheta Schreiber, tells the story of the recovery of the pseudonymous Sybil Dorsett (in real life, Shirley Mason), a woman who suffers from multiple personality disorder because of severe childhood trauma. Published in 1973, the book and the subsequent mini-series caused an immediate sensation, selling millions of copies and bringing the little-known disorder into Americans’ cultural awareness. The story claims to be nonfiction, but critics of the book, such as Debbie Nathan... Read Sybil Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Language

Tags Sociology, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help

In Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know (2019), journalist and author Malcolm Gladwell investigates why we face so many problems when interacting with strangers. He was inspired to search for the underlying causes of our miscommunications following the death of Sandra Bland, a black woman who was pulled over by a white police officer for a minor traffic infraction in 2015. Bland should have been let go with... Read Talking to Strangers Summary


Publication year 2014

Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Self Discovery, Identity: Language

Tags Business / Economics, Self Help, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Education, Education, Psychology


Publication year 1992

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Technology, Sociology, Education, Education, Science / Nature, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Politics / Government

Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology is a 1992 nonfiction book by Neil Postman, a professor of education and communication. The book examines the influence of technology in society, particularly its rapid spread, far-reaching effects, and unquestioned acceptance. The last point is significant: Postman is not unequivocally opposed to technology but worries that it is not sufficiently scrutinized.The author begins with an overview of technology and how it works culturally. He reviews the history... Read Technopoly Summary


Publication year 2007

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Language, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Philosophy, Education, Education, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Self Help

Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion (2020) is a New York Times bestseller on rhetoric by Jay Heinrichs, a journalist, writer, and publisher who specializes in argumentation methods. The book was published in 14 languages and 4 editions, selling over 500,000 copies. Structured like a manual, it boasts over 100 tools of persuasion and references notable figures such as Cicero, Barack Obama, and... Read Thank You For Arguing Summary


Publication year 2013

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags History: World, Military / War, War On Terrorism / Iraq War, Journalism, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Politics / Government, Biography

Thank You For Your Service is a nonfiction book by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Finkel. Published in 2013, it follows the story of an infantry battalion upon their return home from the war in Iraq.Finkel’s previous book, The Good Soldiers, took him to Baghdad, Iraq in 2007-2008 as he was embedded with the 2-16 Infantry Battalion. In Thank You For Your Service, Finkel follows some of these same soldiers home, as they try to move... Read Thank You For Your Service Summary


Publication year 1998

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics

Tags Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Self Help, Psychology, Relationships, Psychology, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 1998

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: Teams, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Self Help, Psychology, Business / Economics, Philosophy, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy, Politics / Government

Robert Greene (1959) is an American self-help book author with a focus on strategy and power. After training in Classical Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, Greene worked numerous jobs before pitching The 48 Laws of Power to book packager Joost Elffers in 1995. The book was inspired by Greene’s time as a writer in Hollywood, where he learned that today’s powerful people share common traits with historic princes, leaders, and tyrants. As he... Read The 48 Laws Of Power Summary